Glaucoma
64 million people worldwide live with glaucoma.1 It affects the optic nerve connecting the eye to the brain. Damage frequently occurs when the intraocular pressure (IOP) is too high. This happens when drainage of the aqueous humour (a watery fluid that fills the space between cornea and lens and helps maintain normal pressure in the eye) is blocked..
Prevalence
Glaucoma is the second most common cause of blindness worldwide 2,3
Up to 50% of people affected in developed countries do not know they have glaucoma,4 a figure that rises to 90% of people in developing countries 3
It is estimated that almost 14 million people will suffer from glaucoma in Europe in 2020 3
Risk factors
Glaucoma most commonly occurs after age 40, but sometimes occurs at birth, infancy or childhood (known as juvenile glaucoma) 4,5
Every 10 years of your life doubles your risk of glaucoma, and it is most common in elderly people over 60 years old 4
You are 3-9 times more likely to get glaucoma if you have a family history of it 4
Higher intraocular pressure (IOP) has been consistently associated with the prevalence and incidence of open angle glaucoma (OAG) and is the only known modifiable factor in OAG 5,6
The prevalence of glaucoma is several times higher in some
races and ethnicities including those of African-American and
Afro-Caribbean origin compared to Caucasians 5,6
Cost to society
The estimated cost to society of visual impairment and blindness in Europe is between 25 and 57 billion euros per year 7
References
- Tham Y-C et al. Ophthalmology. 2014;121(11):2081-2090
- Pascolini D et al. Br J Ophthalmol. 2012;96:614-618
- Quigley HA et al. Br J Ophthalmol. 2006;90:262-267
- Wu J et al. Arch Ophthalmol. 2006;124:950-954
- European Glaucoma Society Br J Ophthalmol 2017;101:75-195
- McMonnies CW J Optom 2017;10:71-78
- Chakravarthy U et al. Ophthalmic Epidemiol. 2017;24(4):239-247
